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Once, a long time ago, lived a wizard. His name was Nick, and he loved inventing and magic, and many people paid greatly for his work. He made amazing potions and artifacts as well as large heaps of money, but through age, he forgot the joys of creation and indulging in his wealth, always wanting more, more! Secretly, his true dream was to gain so much wealth that he could make a potion that would let him live forever, gain eternal wealth.
He had one other brother, his twin, a warlord named Ebenezer. They were the fiercest rivals the world had ever seen. They fought relently, and, being born on Christmas Day, exchanged bolts of magical lightning and explosive jars of enchanted goo with heavy fire from rifles and highly explosive hand grenades made of the finest ingredients even more intensely than normally, on that day. They destroyed nearby towns, farms, and everything in their path. They saw Christmas as a time of war, Nick fighting for gold and wealth, while Ebenezer fought for his so-called honor, pride, to be the most powerful man in the world.
Ebenezer was Nick's only brother. Or so he thought. Seven years before Nick and Ebenezer were born, their mother had her firstborn, named Polaris. Two days later, on Christmas Eve, Polaris vanished from his cradle. His mother, distraught, could not bear to mention him to the twins, to protect them from such pain. No one ever saw Polaris again.
Twenty years later, Polaris died, and was welcomed into heaven by holy angels, singing the most beautiful songs in heaven and earth.

Nick sat beneath an oak tree, moodily crafting a talisman from the root of the tree. I am the richest man in the world, and I will live forever! Nick thought. You can get any amount of money by calling it "Special" and doubling the price.
"Nick." The tree said.
"Who are you!? If you stop evading my detection charm, you may live another hour!"
"But I am already deceased," The tree replied. "I am Polaris, your eldest brother."
Nick clenched his fists and rose to his feet. "Reveal yourself and kneel before my power!" He cried, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.
"As you command, my dear Nick." The tree said.
At once, the many branches of the tree shook violently, the snow sitting atop them cascaded down with strange sparkles of blue and the smell of fresh pine needles. The snow swirled around Nick, and formed a wispy figure floating beside him. At the sight of such magic, or what Nick thought it was, he smirked.

The aroma of pine wafted into Nick's nose, and in Nick's delight, his smirk almost froze on his face, this time in sheer relaxation.
"Wh-wh-who is the m-ma-magician that created y-you? H-he must b-b-be working with Ebenezer! Bego-" Nick let out a small burp.
Polaris blinked.
Nick shifted slightly.
Polaris took a breath, or as close as a spirit could get to one. "You miser! Do you not see how you have wasted over your potions, your enchantments, so greedy, so selfish! What is the point of living forever if there is nothing to live for!? Look upon your grave, so near in the future, your fortunes fruitless. Nothing can evade Death forever."
Polaris thrust an icy hand at the tree behind Nick, the first of which exploded into tiny snowflakes, all exactly the same, and swirled past Nick and around the oak tree, before disappearing into the bark.
Two seconds passed.
Instantly, an incredibly loud crack thundered across the land. Nick smirked again, unscathed, until he realized that where the tree once stood, was a dead one in its place, along with a large tombstone. Nick's name was enscribed upon it.
Nick would have imagined this an illusion, but no, it was too real. No magic could do this to him. He shrieked in terror, and upon him were golden chains. A hooded figure approached, holding a golden key. Death.

As soon as it had transformed, the oak tree returned to its original state, the chains, gravestone, in a swirl of frost, which formed into a hand and reattached itself to Polaris's arm.
Nick dropped to his knees, sobbing. "I have wasted my life for a lost cause! I have all but stolen money from innocent people! Please, O Spirit, let me undo my injustice!"
"Tonight is Christmas Eve." Polaris said, although undoubtedly Nick knew, making new explosive goo that he could throw all the way to Ebenezer's camp before sunrise, and destroy him in a sneak attack. "Your only hope to reach heaven is Forgiveness. Give those still remaining the money you ripped them off of, give your remaining potions away, for selflessness is the greatest thing you can do for yourself. Meet Ebenezer on the battlefield, and give him a Christmas present. Forgive yourself to him."
Nick stood, astonished, at how this actually seemed... right. "But dear brother Polaris, Ebenezer will destroy me! He will send his armies and his bullets will tear me to shreds, my shadow the only thing remaining on your glorious tree!"
"I think not." Polaris winked. "Goodbye, my dear brother. We shall again meet soon, in heaven."
Polaris swirled into another torrent of snow, more strong than the first, and spiraled up and around the tree, until it alighted once more upon the branches, leaving behind only the faint smell of pine needles.

Nick did as Polaris commanded. He found all those still in his village who had bought his products, and gave them back what they should not have given in the first place. He passed out his elixirs, his magical lightning bolts, to whomever he saw, until he ran out. Broke, he sat against the wall of his empty shop, and concentrated. He used all of his magic, and whatever love and joy remained from his childhood, to make a gift for Ebenezer. When he was done, all of his magic was drained empty. He could no longer perform the simplest of spells.

The next day, sure enough, Ebenezer and Nick met upon the battlefield with no weapons, no magical staffs, no armies. The only things in their hands were two gifts, one blue, one red. They embraced.
"I am sorry, dear brother!" Ebenezer exclaimed.
"And so am I," Nick spoke softly.
Ebenezer carefully picked up the blue box, Nick the red.
"Thank you, Ebenezer, for this wonderful present!" Nick said.
"And back to you, Nick." Ebenezer replied.

Some arcane feeling told them that they must already say goodbye.
They parted ways, and at the oak tree, Nick opened his present. Inside was a majestic guitar, that Nick could tell from the shape that it must harness your magical ability. Powerful indeed. Nick dropped it, and a part of it shattered and was lost. It mattered not, for Nick was powerless and could never make a sound anyways. Still, he carried it with him as a reminder of the Spirit of Christmas, and lived his remaining years in happiness. He knew he would die, and so when he did, he shook Death's hand, and after he turned the key in the lock of the golden chains, he made his way to heaven. There, he was welcomed by holy angels, singing the most beautiful songs in heaven and earth. He never used magic from himself or others again.